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A Tisha B’Av Message: Will We Again Fail To Heed the Warnings?
Tisha B'Av (the 9th day of the month of Av) which we commemorate this year on July 17 - 18, reminds us that over 2,600 years ago Jews failed to heed the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah about the importance of changing their ways. That failure resulted in the destruction of the first Temple in Jerusalem, one of the many tragic things that occurred to Jews on that day, including the later destruction of the second Temple. To...
Four-page review of my latest book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM, in the semi-annual journal of the Central Conference of American rabbis (CCAR), a publication that goes to US reform rabbis
The Vegan Revolution by Richard Schwartz (Brooklyn, NY: Lantern Publishing and Media, 2020), 272 pp. I’ve been a vegetarian for forty years. Inspired by a college boyfriend, I then fully committed to it the year I was at HUC-JIRJerusalem, walking down the meat aisle of the Old City Shuk with its hanging animal carcasses. I married a man who was already a vegetarian (thank goodness no “training” required!) and we raised th...
Honors thesis on the beginnings of Jewish environmental and vegetarian activism in the 1970s and 1980s
Renewing and Recycling: The Formation of American Jewish Environmentalism in the 1970s and 1980s Gabrielle Plotkin Advisor: Keith Woodhouse B.A. Thesis for Honors in History Northwestern University May 3, 2021 ii Abstract Few environmental historians have considered how American Jews interacted with the postwar environmental movement. Those that have, often characterize American Jews as “urban” and separate from ...
My interview of Jeffrey Spitz Cohan, director of Jewish Veg, formerly Jewish Vegetarians of North America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdsQSVQE6LU
Video of amazing Earth Day teach-in that involved talks by 22 fabulous speakers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ck72NqkUAA Earth Day teach-in I aranged (on Earth Day, April 22, 2021), which involved 22 fabulous speakers . The theme was "Applying Religiouis Values To Help Save the World." Here is the list of speakers the order of their appearance. Richard Schwartz : President emeritus of Jewish Veg and author of “Judaism ...
Three Shavuot Articles Related To Vegetarianism and Veganism
Below are three Shavuot-related articles. They are: 1. A Shavuot Message: Time to Apply Torah Values To Our Diets 2. Dialogue on Shavuot Night About Veganism 3. Shavuot and Vegetarianism and Veganism ============= A Shavuot Message: Time to Apply Torah Values To Our Diets Shavuot is "z'man matan Torateinu,” the time of the giving of the Torah to the Israelites on Mount Sinai. To honor the Torah, many dedicated religious Jews ...
Unique, potentially transformative Earth Day zoom event scheduled
In commemoration of the 51st Earth Day on Thursday, April 22, there will be a zoom teach-in, with the theme, “Applying Jewish and Other Religion’s Values to Help Save the World.” The teach-in aims to increase awareness of the seriousness of climate and other environmental threats, and the urgency of applying religious Values to help shift our imperiled planet onto a sustainable path. It also aims to initiate the creation of a coalition of veg, ...
Jewish quotations about animals
1. God’s original dietary lawAnd God said: "Behold, I have given you every herb-yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding fruit - to you it shall be for food."Genesis 1:29God did not permit Adam and his wife to kill a creature to eat its flesh. Only every green herb shall they all eat together.Rashi’s commentary on Genesis 1:29You are permitted to use the animals and employ them for work, have ...
Parshat Tzav: How Meat Consumption Today Differs from The Time of the Mishkan (Sanctuary) in the Wilderness
And that which is left thereof [from the meal-offering] shall Aaron and his sons eat; it shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place; in the tent of meeting they shall eat it. . . . it is most holy as the sin-offering and the guilt-offering. Leviticus 6:9.10When the Jewish people were in the wilderness before they entered the land of Israel, the consumption of meat was associated with ...
1,600 word excerpt from my book, VEGAN REVOLUTION, SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM
LIVING AS A JEWISH VEGAN In this book, I have attempted to present evidence that the world is in the throes of a climate catastrophe. Selfreinforcing positive feedback loops (vicious cycles) are moving the climate system toward irreversible tipping points. If we fail to act rapidly and decisively, these will bring massive climate disruptions, with calamitous results for all life on Earth. Because animal agriculture is a major cause of ...
My review of Eco Bible, edited by Rabbis Yonatan Neril and Leo Dee
Relating Biblical Teachings to Current Environmental Threats Eco Bible: Volume 1: An Ecological Commentary on Genesis and Exodus Editors and lead contributors: Rabbi Yonatan Neril and Rabbi Leo Dee Publisher: The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development No price indicate As one who has long been advocating that Jewish values be applied in efforts to resolve current critical threats, I eagerly antici...
My three Passover related articles
The titles of the articles are: Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Hurt Us and the Planet 2. Applying Passover Messages Can Help Heal Our Imperiled Planet 3. Passover and Vegetarianism or Veganism ============= Freeing Ourselves at Passover From Diets That Hurt Us and the Planet Jews commendably go to extraordinary lengths before and during Passover to avoid certain foods, in keeping with Torah mitzvot. But at the same ...
Latest Review of My Newest Book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM
Richard H. Schwartz, Vegan Revolution: Saving Our World, RevitalizingJudaism. Brooklyn, NY: Lantern Publishing, 2020. xxxiv +230 pages.$20.00 softcover. This review appeared in the March/April online Quaker Publication, "Peaceable Table." This is now one of the basic books on veganism and Judaism for thegeneral reader. With the passion of a convert--Schwartz becamevegetarian Jan. 1 1978 at the age of 41 and vegan in 2000--the ...
Complete text of my latest book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM
“I consider it an honor and a mitzvah to commend Professor Richard Schwartz’s work and all his endeavors to bring Jewish teachings on diet, health, the environment, and related issues to public attention, especially to those of us who seek to lead a religiously observant lifestyle, in keeping with the precepts and goals of the Torah. May his efforts merit Divine blessing and success.”—Rabbi David Rosen, Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland; President ...
Hazon announces Shmita prizes
View this email in your browserMarch 4th, 2021 | 20th Adar Dear Richard,(If you want to go straight to info on The Shmita Prizes - click here.) But first, I want to put these prizes in context, beginning with a word about shabbat, shmita’s temporal Jewish sibling. The world needs shabbat right now. We need boundaries. We need rest. We need time when we switch off electronics. We need at least one day that we don’t buy stuff. We need at ...
Applying Jewish Values To Help Heal the World: Review of Rabbi Arthur Waskow’s book, “Dancing in God’s Earthquake”
Dancing in God’s Earthquake: The Coming Transformation of Religion Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow Orbis Books, 2020 US $25 I looked forward eagerly to reading Rabbi Arthur Ocean Waskow’s latest book, Dancing in God’s Earthquake, for two reasons. First, as one who has long argued that Jews should be doing far more to apply Jewish teachings in response to current environmental and other threats, I was ...
Request That People Share PDFs of My Latest Book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM With Many of Their Contacts
Shalom Please do me a big, important favor that would take you just a few minutes, cost you nothing, and have a potentially transformative positive impact on our imperiled planet/MANY thanks/KOL tuv/Richard (schwartz) Please forward the PDFs of the complete text and the cover picture of my latest book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM, to all your contacts, or at least those you think would be interested in it, perhaps ...
Purim and Veganism (followed by my Purimshpiel)
Purim and Veganism The joyous festival of Purim shares many connections with veganism. According to the Talmud (Megilla 13a), Queen Esther, the heroine of the Purim story, was a vegetarian while she lived in the palace of King Achashverosh. She was thus able to avoid violating the kosher dietary laws while keeping her Jewish identity secret. During Purim it is a mitzvah to give mat’...
A very comprehensive interview of me about theJewish case for vegetarianism and veganism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR2ZIPT0rrFcL23uC-7N-P9B_aQjKx8FXkxh9gyQO4JUEg6_E7PwBLdEAS8&v=IY85JN0Iifk&feature=youtu.be
Supporting statements about my latest book, VEGAN REVOLUTION: SAVING OUR WORLD, REVITALIZING JUDAISM
“I consider it an honor and a mitzvah to commend Professor Richard Schwartz’s work and all his endeavors to bring Jewish teachings on diet, health, the environment, and related issues to public attention, especially to those of us who seek to lead a religiously observant lifestyle, in keeping with the precepts and goals of the Torah. May his efforts merit Divine blessing and success.”—Rabbi David Rosen, Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland; ...
